Asthma Is Absent Among Top Covid-19 Risk Factors, Early Data Shows
“this month, when New York State, the epicenter of the outbreak in the United States, began releasing data on the top 10 chronic health problems suffered by people who died from coronavirus, asthma was notably absent from the list.“ nytimes.com/2020/04/16/heal...
This is consistent with early epidemiology on C-19 that came out of Wuhan published by the Lancet. thelancet.com/action/showPd...
Initially, I was surprised and did wonder if other factors were at play e.g. under diagnosis of respiratory disease. The Lancet commentary cited in the NY Times article gives three possible explanations, including potential under-reporting of asthma in China, a theory that the immune response in those with respiratory conditions may be protective, but this is not supported by evidence of increased mortality from C-19 for those patients with COPD. The final possibility is that inhaled corticosteroids might prevent (at least partly) the development of symptomatic infection or severe presentations of COVID-19 is very interesting but this just a hypothosesis. Further analysis of larger datasets should hopefully provide some concrete answers.
We must take note that although asthma may be absent in the top risk factors, the article does state that 5% of those who died were known to have asthma. The data available on risk factors and C-19 is not yet mature, but existing comprehensive data demonstrate that the flu and milder coronaviruses exacerbate asthma -therefore similar would be expected with C-19.
Great reply.
"the article does state that 5% of those who died were known to have asthma".
Sure, but it also states
"Nearly eight percent of the U.S. population ... has asthma".
So asthmatics are under-represented in the Covid-19 statistics. This is very good news.
Yes, it is but you need to consider the level of severity of those who have asthma that make up that 8%, this will include those with mild asthma whose risk of developing serious C-19 disease which requires hospital admission is considered to be less vs more severe asthma. This may be the reason for why the numbers appear under represented vs population, we wont know until more data is obtained.
I have mild asthma, I'm not in the high risk age group and I don't have any of the 'high risk' health conditions - but I do have autoimmune conditions. I ended up in ICU on a ventilator whilst my husband (who passed the coronavirus on to me) who ticks all the 'high risk' boxes had a moderate dose of the illness and recovered at home without any medical intervention. My GP rang me when I returned home and apologised to me because he "Hadn't realised how bad my asthma was". I really do only have mild asthma so this puzzled me.
I researched Covid-19 and autoimmune response. There is very little to be found but there was one report that suggested the immune response of people suffering from SOME autoimmune conditions, namely the rheumatic illnesses, could cause a 'cytokine storm', inducing severe symptoms initially in the lungs, though the strong immune response would also increase recovery. (Please do not critique this very brief account of the very brief report, I will not respond).
Mainly the article directed medical practitioners to consider previously published reports for MERS and SARS re the autoimmune response/risks of some patients.
I believe that the severity of my illness was as a result of a strong autoimmune response. I was put into an induced coma and transported from my local hospital to a regional Centre of Excellence for ICU treatment as my condition was so severe. Yet I was only on the respirator for 5 days and CPAP for 4 days; back home after 3 days recovery on a ward. I was told by the overjoyed nurses that I was the first Covid-19 patient to be sufficiently recovered to leave ICU; others were still on ventilators for three weeks or more, the majority left by the back door in a body bag.
During the 1918 Spanish flu epidemic, it was the strong, healthy young adult population that suffered most, due to having a strong healthy immune system and the cytokine storm effect.
So there are many variants to consider for this condition, it isn't straightforward, which makes it more difficult to prevent and/or treat.
Hi
I’m glad you got through it and hope you are managing to rest and recover well now you’re home!
Good grief, that sounds like quite the traumatic experience. Hope you’re ok and glad you’re getting looked after well, it must have been scary for everyone.
Thank you Londonliving, I think it was worse for hubby and son, they said that they both jumped each time the phone rang.
I'm only putting posts on different threads, and on other forums to try and impress upon people that this virus is really virulent and really nasty when it gets a hold of you.
I've seen some very off-hand and downright unbelievably naïve posts on some other forums.
I can imagine, i understand completely what you mean and your example does show that this virus seems to strike fairly indiscriminately and none of us can know if we will be one of the ones severely ill. I suppose in time it will become more apparent what the risk factors are and what causes more severe illness but now it seems to be more luck of the draw. And the stats for being on ventilation with covid are sobering so I’m pleased you have recovered.
And having gone through it you can speak with authority! I am so glad you did get through it, but also that you are spreading the information. I hope some of those who try to minimise the risks with this listen and take note!
Seen this published Friday about Shielding
Please read: shielding queries
COVID-19 risk assessment tool 
Random info re long covid and asthma - bedtime reading if anyone interested, take what you like from it or not 🙂. 
What priority group for vaccination am I in if I have asthma?
